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Famous for their movie careers, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello began their steep ascent into comedy stardom through radio. Abbott was the vivacious straight man to Costello. Abbott made famous their routine "Who's on First" and coined the still popular catchphrase, "I'm a baaaad boy!" Bud and Lou got their start in the usual way - dumb luck. Actually, when they were barely out of their teens, Bud was working in the box office of a local vaudeville where Lou Costello was on the bill. After meeting, Bud told Lou that what he really needed a straight man, and that he, Bud, was available. Lou said "Oh, yeah?" "Oh, yeah, and I'll prove it!" They continued on the circuit together. The rest is show-biz history. During the later part of the 1930's, the boys had perfected their trademarked rapid-fire on-stage personalities, doing the types of routines they would use for the rest of their lives.
They got their first radio show break as a summer substitute for Fred Allen in 1940. With Camel Cigarettes sponsorship, they got their own radio show in 1942 and kept the audiences rolling in the aisles and glued to their radios for the rest of the decade. This continued into the 1950's, when they moved to TV.
The Abbott and Costello Show featured their comedy in a variety-show-with-guests format. Character actors such as Mel Blanc (Jack Benny Show, The Mel Blanc Show), Sid Fields (who worked with them on their TV show), and vocalists Connie Haines and Marilyn Maxwell were regulars. Abbott & Costello publicity shotThe Orchestra was under the baton of the swing-associated leaders Skinnay Ennis and then Will Osborne. It was a raucous show, as well it should be with these guys. Abbott and Costello were never known for droll or witty humor. The boys stormed Hollywood, doing films along with their radio work, and were a natural for that "idiot box" called TV. Before they were done with radio, however, they did a kiddy show in the late 1940's called The Abbott and Costello Children's Show. It was not quiet or refined either, and the kiddies loved it.
Numbers refer to production or broadcast dates (yymmdd) and series number when known.
This disc includes the following shows (list may include duplicates):
400320 Lion Hunting
420511 Lou Substitutes For
421015 Bank Robbery w Marle
421119 Knights in Shining A
430114 Hunting Guide with C
430316 At the Circus with A
431118 Nylon Stockings with
431125 Formal ThanksGiving
431202 Trip to Palm Springs
431209 English Butler with
431216 The Wild West with L
431230 The Lawyer with Bert
440026 Matrimonial Agency
440106 Lou's Engaged to Jud
440113 Visit to a Sanitariu
440120 With The Great Gilde
440210 Charles Laughton
440217 Making a Movie with
440302 Blondie & Dagwood
440302 With Hedda Hopper (p
440309 Snow White With Blondie And Dagwood
440606 Who's On First
440618 Costello Buys Gifts For Cast
441026 Matrimonial Agency
441207 Visit To Tin Pan All
441214 Christmas Shopping
450125 Merchant Marines
450201 Stolen Oranges
450215 Guest Rudy Vallee
450308 New Press Agent
450503 Spanish Acting Schoo
450607 Costello Gets A Tato
450628 Return To Patterson
451115 Lou Hides From His G
451129 Opening A Gas Statio
451206 Lou The Fireman
451220 Christmas Party
451227 Costello's Beauty Sh
460425 The Sheriff Of North
470313 Lou Goes To Racetrac
470410 Nuts And Bolts
470417 The Baseball Player
470424 Lou Builds A House
47-06-18 Abbott & Costell-Baseball_Show
470618 Who's On First
471224 Christmas Program
471224_Christmas Program
481028 Unknown Title
490127 Unknown Title
490303 Unknown Title
490428 Unknown Title
490519 Unknown Title
Show With Peter Lorre
Trip to Palm Springs with Veronica Lake
400320 - Lion Hunting
431118 - Nylon Stockings
440302 - Guests Blondie & Dagwood
440309 - Snow White
430114 - Hunting Guide
430316 - At the Circus
441026 - Matrimonial Agency
451115 - Lou Hides From His Girlfriend
460425 The Sheriff Of North Hollywood
2 Tens For a Five
Abbott Takes a Walk
Ajax Plumbing Co
Alright
Bet You're Not Here Routine
Bud Hates Mustard
Dracula's Existence Routine
I'm a Bad Boy
Loafing Routine
Lou Has a Baby
Lou is Shocked Routine
Lou Likes Bud
Lou's a Wolf
Lou's Destiny
Lou's Kids In Orphanage
Mrs Pike's Dog
Mustard Routine
Phone Booth Routine
Rain Dear
Silly Fear
Stinker
Strawberry Sunday
Susquehana Routine
Teller
Tough Kid
Turkey Sandwich
Twenty Two Apples
Watts Volts
Who's Smoking
42-10-15 Bank Robbery
43-11-18 Lucille Ball's Nylons
44-02-17 with Dorothy Lamour
44-06-06 Who's On First
45-04-26 Andrews Sisters
45-06-28
48-08-12 The UNO
48-44-03
49-01-27 Sam Shovel Skit
Hedda Hopper
420511 LOU SUBSTITUTES FOR JOE DIMAGGIO
At the Races
At the Ranch
Christmas Program
Costello Has A Cold
Costello The Stunt M
Costello's Horse Pea
Father's Day
Girls, Girls, Girls
Gold Ore
Guest Bert Gordon
Guest Judy Canova
Kids Program with Re
Laugh
Lou Is A Delegate To
Mudder And Fodder
Niagria Falls skit
No Details - 2
Room & Board
Shootin' Dice
Spanish Acting Schoo
Susquehanna Hat Comp
The Shell Game skit
Up and Down
Variety Show
Who's On First
With Linda Darnell
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